2020 was a hard year, filled with unprecedented challenges.…

In January, we implemented primary care diversion for parents to help break the cycle of incarceration.

In February, we instituted the boldest bail reform policy in the nation, ending our office’s practice of asking for cash bail.

We also implemented groundbreaking new policy directives to stop racist pretextual stops and end the use of gang and status enhancements.

In March, in response to COVID-19, we began our work to safely reduce the jail population to prevent an outbreak in the jails and our community. Ultimately we reduced the jail population by about 40%.

In April, we started an innovative Economic Crimes Against Workers Unit to protect vulnerable workers from exploitation—especially during the pandemic.

In May, we partnered with @Lyft and @Airbnb to provide housing and transportation to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault during the pandemic.
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In June, inspired by righteous rage over the murder of George Floyd, we initiated many police reforms.

We sponsored a resolution with Sup. @ShamannWalton to stop the SF police department from hiring officers with known prior misconduct.

We called on the California State Bar to #curetheconflict that exists when prosecutors accept law enforcement union support.

We created a policy to compensate victims of police violence just like any other crime victim.

We announced new leadership in our Independent Investigations Bureau.

We implemented a policy not to charge based on the uncorroborated word of officers with prior misconduct.

We implemented a policy to review body cameras before charging resisting arrest cases. And more.

In July, we resentenced the last person on death row out of San Francisco, effectively ending the death penalty in San Francisco.

We announced our intent to form a Truth, Justice & Reconciliation Commission to address the harms caused in our communities by law enforcement.

We also implemented a policy not to charge peaceful protestors.

We also reached a $1 million settlement with https://t.co/m4zJC4LsoC in a consumer protection case.

In August, we finished our first season of Chasing Justice (@ChasingPodcast), our office’s podcast hosted by me and @RachelRMarshall, designed to provide transparency into our office’s policies and to educate about criminal justice reform.

In September, we formed an Innocence Commission led by @larabazelon to review wrongful convictions claims.

We announced our Post-Conviction Unit to review cases in which sentences may be excessive.

We made longtime SF community advocate @davidcamposSF our new Chief of Staff.

We successfully ensured County Jail #4 would close—something I long fought to achieve.

We also announced a partnership with @Deanpreston to compensate small business owners whose windows were smashed.

And we were one of the four founding prosecutors to form the @ProsAlliance.

In October, we announced a pilot program to expand the testing of toxicology samples from sexual assault survivors to five days, to better protect sexual assault victims.

In November, we made history in filing the first ever homicide charges against an on-duty officer in San Francisco when we filed charges against the former officer who shot and killed Keita O’Neil.

I personally prosecuted a homicide case, securing a grand jury indictment.

We also began weekly Facebook Live events on Wednesdays to provide updates on the work our office is doing.

In December, we announced that a grand jury had indicted both Jamaica Hampton and Officer Flores, who shot him.

We also filed felony charges against Officer Stangel, who beat with a baton Dacari Spiers, a Black man who was not observed by police committing any crime.

We also announced quickly our decisions not to prosecute three officers in two other use-of-force cases this year.

We hosted Police Chief Scott on Facebook Live and talked about how our offices can work together to keep San Francisco safe.

It was a hard year, but one with many achievements. Crime rates this year are down about 25% but we still have work to do together to reduce the rate of burglaries and homicides. The jail population in SF remains significantly reduced and we have avoided an outbreak of the virus.

We prosecuted over 4,000 new cases this year. We instituted groundbreaking police accountability reforms. We implemented new approaches centered around victims.

In the year to come we will continue to work our hardest.

We will fight for treatment to end our drug overdose crisis.

We will expand restorative justice approaches so that crime victims feel empowered by our legal system and those who harm are held accountable.

We will work to keep everyone in San Francisco safe from the pandemic.

We will continue to address root causes of crime so that we can prevent future crime.

And we will continue to fight to keep San Francisco safe, healthy, and just.